Valeria Trifa
Valeria Trifa, also known as Holy Grail '''and by his title '''Christof Lohengrin, is a member of the Longinus Dreizehn Orden, occupying the third seat of the Black Round Table. A catholic priest, he acts as Reinhard's representative and as the temporary leader of the thirteen. Before the events of Dies Irae Valeria Trifa was born in Germany. For the first part of his life he was a normal man, with his only peculiarty being that he was born with the power to read others' hearts. He became a Catholic priest as he had always wanted, but had different motivations than the rest of his peers to become a part of the Church. While the others priests seeked to confort others and to give them hope, Valeria seeked for others to confort him instead, as he felt out of place in the world due to his strange power. He wanted to believe in God's existence, to think there was a better world after this one, and to believe in the values the Church advertised. So he clung to his position and to God's existence to give him happiness. However, Valeria soon watched the Church's own corruption, that it was run by imperfect men. That, along with his lifespan decreasing because of his ability, made the priest fall into despair. However, on 24th December of 1939, he met the two people who changed his life forever, Reinhard Heydrich and Karl Krafft. That day, at night, he was in his church at Berlin having a conversation with Anna Schwagerin, about the discoveries of the Ahnenerbe Bureau, who just discovered Vlad Tepes' crystalized blood in Constantinople. After the conversation, in which the witch deduced Valeria's unique heart reading abilities, the two went out for a walk. During their walk, they were witnesses of the fight between SS Officers Eleonore von Wittenburg and Beatrice Waltrud von Kirscheisen against serial killers Wilhelm Ehrenburg and Wolfgang Schreiber. Just then, Reinhard Heydrich, who was witnessing the fight too alongside Karl Krafft, stepped in between the fighters (motivated by Krafft's words) and completely wasted them, in an unnatural display of power. After it all was over, Valeria was seized by the Gestapo along with Anna Schwagerin and Riza Brenner. Valeria, after seeing the Blonde Beast's power, decided to make him the object of his attachment, instead of religion. He, under the leadership of Heydrich and Krafft, became part of the Longinus Dreizehn Orden, alongside all the people who bore witness to the fight and participated in it. Reinhard and Karl were the object of the adoration, respect and fear of all of them, as they possessed unreal perfection. As World War II progressed, all the setbacks in Germany's path only increased the power of the Black Round Table, as all the battles of the war were a great source of souls. However, since all the members of the organization were granted power, their innermost desires began to awaken. That, coupled with Reinhard's influence, began to warp the personalities of all the members of the Black Round Table, until (as Valeria said) they became monsters in the shape of men, corrupted by their own desires and fanatically determined to pursue them. Valeria himself began to feel how a desire haunted him, that of "becoming a different person". As he didn't want to be corrupted by his own desire, and felt that sticking around the group would only make his control over it to worsen, the priest left the Black Round Table. After leaving his previous associates, Valeria created an orphanage, choosing it to be his coffin. There, he took care of a lot of children, who conforted him and gave him happiness, as the children were innocent and untainted. However, it didn't last too long. One day, Reinhard and his three commanders appeared in Valeria's orphanage. Telling him to choose ten children as a "price to pay", Reinhard and the warriors accompanying him killed each of the children Valeria pointed his finger at. Valeria noted that, while he loved those children, he did nothing to help them escape their fate, as he still chose ten children, and finally realized that it was because of his desire. Finally, Valeria accepted his own desire, "to become a different person, Reinhard Heydrich" and became consumed by it. Valeria rejoined the Black Round Table at this point. Valeria, apparently, took part in the opening of the Swastikas in Berlin during its eponymous battle, which led to the creation of an Ark of the Covenant, and established Valhalla as an independent realm outside of the Already Known World. After this, Reinhard, his three commanders, and Mercurius left the scene, with Valeria remaining as the temporary leader of the Black Round Table in the Beast of Gold's absence. After this, Valeria's soul was moved to Reinhard's physical body by Mercurius while the Beast's soul was in Valhalla. The body became Christof's Holy Relic, and also was indetified as some sort of "fulfillment" of his Craving. During the 60 years in between the Battle of Berlin and the return to Suwahara City, Christof was the man in charge of training Kei Sakurai in the use of Ewigkeit at age 6 to substitute Beatrice in the Black Round Table (who had died), until she won her independence. Events of Dies Irae Common Route Chapter I: L'enfant de la Punition Valeria appears for the first time in the bridge leading to Suwahara City, alongside Wilhelm Ehrenburg and Rusalka Schwagerin. After informing them of the current situation (members currently inside the Shambala, Valkyria's demise), he gives them his blessing and states he is not going to enter the Shambala yet, as he prefers to leave this to the younger ones. He also indicates Spinne's situation as being in a scouting mission. Chapter II: Xenophobia Valeria enters the Shambala in this chapter. He appears in the streets of Suwahara City to Ren and Kasumi, who instantly deduce he is a foreigner. He is seen trying to get someone in the street to help him, but the murder cases that have been taking place in the City has caused mistrust towards strangers in the City's population. Kasumi goes towards him and, after embarrasing herself with her rather poor English, they discover that he can speak Japanese perfectly. Valeria introduces himself, and is identified as the guest that Rea was expecting. Ren and Kasumi decide to guide him to Suwahara's church. Along the way, the grow to love the father's personality. Upon reaching the church, the group is received by Riza Brenner, a nun living in the church along with Rea, and secretly a member of the Longinus Dreizehn Orden, and Valeria's closest advisor in the Black Round Table. Riza implies, jokingly, that she got Valeria out of the church because he wouldn't let Rea go alone to the bathroom. Valeria has been abroad for many years, and reveals himself as Rea's godfather during the conversation (making Ren question himself about the priest's age, as he appears 30 physically, but should be a lot older to be Rea's godfather). Ren and Kasumi stay at the church to have dinner along with their one-year senior, the father and the sister. During dinner, Valeria apparently gets drunk (although Apostle's are pretty much inmune to alcohol's effects unless they make themselves used to the substance, so Christof could have been faking it) and has to get carried by Ren and Riza to a different room. Valeria later escapes using a secret passage in the church. When Ren and Kasumi are going to leave, Riza makes Valeria accompany them, saying that his body would make for a wonderful shield in a joking manner. Valeria accompanies them to the exit of the church, but gets told that it's not necessary to accompany them to their home. He speaks to Ren for a while before he leaves, and confirms that neither Ren nor Kasumi were born in Suwahara City, thereby tying Ren closer to actually be Zarathustra, Mercurius' substitute, and somehow confirming his thoughts about Kasumi's lineage. Ren also tells Valeria his parents died and Kasumi's family raised him, due to the friendship between their fathers. When asked by Valeria if he would revive them if he got the chance, Ren answered that he wouldn't, that it's impossible for the dead to revive. Christof gets pissed off by this answer, but bides Ren goodbye with a smile in his face. After biding Ren and Kasumi goodbye, Kei shows up and says that Christof shouldn't have entered the Shambala due to his inmense soul density, but he explicitly tells he couldn't help it. Christof orders Kei to direct tonight's "opera", the fight between Bey and Malleus against the could be Zarathustra in the park. During Ren's first encounter with Wilhelm and Rusalka, Shirou and Erii encounter Valeria as an enemy. Chapter III: End of Nightmare In this chapter, Valeria makes an appeareance in Suwahara City's Museum, during Kasumi's murder spree in the city. He has come to the Museum along with Leonhard, while Bey and Malleus chase "Zarathustra". Thanks to their information, Christof and Leonhard learn about Mercurius' method to awaken Zarathustra and strengthen him, consisting in using another one to commit murders across the city to collect souls while his true substitute remains safe. After snaping a security guard's neck with ease, Valeria identifies Zarathustra's Holy Relic, the Guillotine of the Museum, which Valeria states has absorbed all the souls released upon Beatrice's death and, due to that, believes that a few more kills would be enough to open the Swastika situated in the Museum. Christof gets a phone call from Spinne. After Kasumi kills her final victims, Valeria has found out that the Guillotine has dissapeared from the Museum, having gone to Ren's (his true master) hands. However, due to his Stigmata bleeding, he notes that the collected souls have opened the Swastika, and that Reinhard Heydrich's return approaches. Chapter IV: Odessa Valeria appears, along the other members of the Black Round Table currently in the Shambala, in a reunion in the black round table room under the church, this time with the addition of Spinne to the group. He, along with introducing Kei to the Black Round Table's Three Commanders, who are currently with Reinhard in his Castle, lays out instructions to the rest of the Black Round Table for the progression of the ritual. First of all, massacring the City's population is not allowed, and the Swastikas must be opened in a sequential order to make things run smoothly. During this reunion, Wilhelm accuses Christof of plotting something, and of saying this to make the ritual unnecesarily longer. However, Rusalka supports Valeria's decision. Christof leaves Spinne with the task of teaching Ren how Ewigkeit works, so he can begin his role as the enemy the Black Round Table will have to fight against. In exchange for doing this, Valeria promises Spinne his position as temporary leader of the Orden, which he (falsely) says is only a burden upon him. His true plan, however, is for Spinne to die at Ren's hands so that the second Swastika may be opened. After Spinne is defeated by Ren, Valeria finds him. The priest tells his subordinate that he doesn't deserve living, because he let his own cowardice overpower his loyalty to Reinhard Heydrich. He tells Spinne that every single member, including himself, fear the Beast of Gold, but they have not turned their backs on him due to their fear. Valeria then kills the weakened Spinne rather easily, so that all the souls he contains open the Swastika at Suwahara City's park. After the second Swastika's opening, Reinhard makes his presence known to his underlings in the Shambala and tortures them via soul pressure (that of his and of his Three Commanders) and heavy bleeding from their Stigmata due to them being too slow in the opening of the Swastikas. Christof assures his lord that there won't be any more delays from now on. Chapter VI: King of Hollow Christof is alone in the round table room of the church, having an audience with Reinhard himself, who's manifesting a shade into the Shambala from Valhalla. Reinhard observes that, in 60 years, Valeria has been the only member of the Black Round Table who has not changed at all. During the audience, Valeria notes that, while the mere presence of Reinhard would be able to crush any member of the Black Round Table due to his soul pressure, he's used to it, so he isn't annoyed by it at all. During their conversation, Reinhard asks Valeria his opinion about why everyone in the Orden seems to fear Karl so much. Christof arguments that it's due to his power and mysteriousness, which makes everyone seem threatened, even when he is the reason they have power in the first place. Reinhard takes advantage of the topic to question Christof's loyalty to him and his sworn friend, telling him that Karl and him have been evaluating him. Reinhard says that Valeria's Craving is inherently damaging to Reinhard's own plans, and that's why his loyalty is in question in the first place. Holy Grail, however, assures his lord that he is completely loyal. Reinhard then goes on to ask his representative in the Shambala about Zarathustra, Mercurius' substitute and creation, who's serving as the enemy the Black Round Table fight against to open the eight Swastikas. Christof informs that he is progressing adequately, but his power is nothing out of the norm for an Apostle. To Reinhard's question of Zarathustra approaching his own power, Valeria tells him that Zarathustra wouldn't even be able to defeat him, so him being anywhere near the Beast's power is out of the question. Reinhard then declares that wants to see his "friend's creation" with his own eyes, although he doesn't question Valeria's report. If he turned out to be weak, he would leave him to deal with Zarathustra, and would take the adequate action if he turned out to be strong. But if he turned out to be a fool, Reinhard declares that he will kill him. Then, the Beast of Gold's presence dissipates. Valeria is completely freaked out by what his lord had just said, and feels sorry for Ren, because he will meet Reinhard (who he denomines "a true monster") soon. He also regrets that his life alongside Rea is going to come to an end really soon. He would, however, take action towards this issue very soon. Valeria sends Kei and Wilhelm to get Ren to come to their headquarters (the church, although Ren doesn't know at the moment) so he can have an audience with Reinhard, as his lord desires. However, Ren fights back. When Ren is in the middle of a fight with Kei, he senses Reinhard's presence, observing him. Valeria shows up in the middle of their fight, either stopping the fight between the two altogether, or stopping Ren from escaping. Once Ren listens Kei calling the priest "Holy Grail", which was the name Spinne gave to the temporary leader of the Black Round Table, Ren had a breakdown, refusing to believe Valeria was, in any way, connected to the Longinus Dreizehn Orden, nevermind being their temporary leader. Christof's words also make Ren question if Rea is also related to the Black Round Table, but he doesn't get any clear answer from the priest. Upon hearing Ren declare that he will defeat them, Valeria loses his usually collected persona and bursts into laughter. He decides to fulfill his mission, and signals the appearence of a shade of Reinhard, projected from Valhalla. Upon appearing, his lord introduces himself to Ren, who is instantly pinned to the ground, along with Kei, by Reinhard's soul pressure. However, Shirou appears, having already left Wilhelm for dead, and picks Ren up in his motorcycle, escaping from the Beast and his underlings. After Ren and Shirou escaped, Valeria introduces Kei to Reinhard, as they hadn't met before, and reports the demise of Valkyria to his lord, as he hadn't reported that to him beforehand. After hearing this, Reinhard orders for Tubal Cain to be awakened, and leaves the scene. After Reinhard leaves, Valeria notes Kei's fear, and states that it is natural being scared of him, as they all fear him in some way or another. Kasumi's Route Chapter VII: Death Indra Valeria shows up in the bridge, after Babylon opens the third Swastika, in the Bottomless Pit. He tells Riza that her job has ended, as she has opened a Swastika, and now she can relax unti the ritual is finished. However, Valeria tells Riza of his interest to continue using Tubal Cain. Valeria perceives Riza's sorrow, and deduces its source. It's due to Rea's role in the ritual, and how she has to be sacrificed at the end of it all. The source of Riza's sorrow comes from having grown attached to Rea, and Valeria says that he's very attached to, as he feels like Rea is the closest to a daughter he has ever had, as he didn't have any children. Fortunately, Valeria states that he's found an alternative, which would save Rea from being sacrificed. However, Valeria, feeling that Riza is actually an obstacle to his plan, drives his hand through her chest, ripping her heart out. He then declares that he thinks they both are similar, but the difference between them is that Valeria takes action, while Babylon does not. After killing Riza, he buries her heart at Suwahara City's theme park, opening the fourth Swastika, located there. This way, he managed to open two Swastikas in just one night. After killing her, Christof declares that he really liked Riza, and he thought of her as his wife, in the same way he thought of Rea as his daughter. He then looks at Tubal Cain, who has an enormous hate for Christof inside of him, which causes him to go berserk for a moment before calming down. He, then, orders Cain to go to Rusalka, who is going to be his new puppeteer.